Apparatus for piercing metallic billets



Jan 9, 1951 c, TICHY APPARATUS FOR PIERCING METALLIC BILLETS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 10, 1945 IN V EN TOR 72 47 wpl/a.

ATTORNEY Jan. 9, 1951 c. TICHY APPARATUS FOR PIERCING METALLIC BILLETS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 10, 1945 NVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FORPIERCING METALLIC BILLETS of Delaware Application October 10, 1945,Serial No. 621,419

3 Claims. 1

An object of this invention is to provide a device for piercing hot orcold non-ferrous metal billets using a piercing cap and mandrel forcedthrough the billet by a hydraulic or mechanical press, and through a dieseated in the billet knockout. The die may be of any desired shape.

Another object of the invention is to provide a billet container base,supported on trunnions and adapted to receive interchangeable billetcontainers for difierent size billets, a, container cap fitted toslotted retainers, which cap acts as a guide for the piercing die andmandrel, also as a knock-out to remove the billet after being pierced.

A further object of the invention is to turn the billet container basethrough an arc of 180 degrees, bringing the knock-out under thecontainer cap and press, and removing the pierced billet by the actionof the press upon the container cap and knock-out when in this position.A slot is cut in the container cap as a guide when placing the piercingcap in position. The billet container base, mounted on trunnions, isturned by an operating cylinder transmitting motion through a rack andpinion combination through a shaft to the trunnion.

These objects and the additional objects of the invention will bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing assembly ofthe billet piercing device.

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the billet piercing device showing theshaft end view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section showing the billet container, cap andguides, piercing mandrel and guard.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3 showing the location of the trunnions.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the billet container cap.

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation showing the side of one of the slottedguides for the billet container cap, and

Fig. 7 is a view in elevation showing a front view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, we have shown in Fig. 1 the piercing mandrel2 fitted into the mandrel holder I. The piercing cap 4 fits into thepiercing mandrel 2 and is forced through the billet by the press A. Thecontainer cap 3 fits snugly upon billet container 5 and also serves as aguide for the piercing cap 4 and the piercing mandrel 2. The billetcontainer 5 is in the form of a hollow cylinder and is secured to thecontainer base by cap screws 5 It is interchange- 2 able with otherbillet containers designed to fit on the container base. The selectionof a container depends upon the size of the billet to be pierced.

The container base 8 is supported on trunnions 8a, 8a and a, trunnionstand H. One trunnion is equipped with a friction braking device 9, tocontrol the speed of rotation of the base. The other trunnion isconnected to an operating shaft 14, supported by a bearing stand [5. Theoperating shaft 14 is connected by means of a coupling It to a pinion l9and a rack 29, to the operating cylinder 2| Fig, 2, through the rack andcylinder coupling 22 Fig. 2. The rack and pinion are supported andguarded on the bearing stand I! and guard 18 Fig. 1.

The operating cylinder 2| is shown diagrammatically only, since itsfunction in operation is well known in various types of prime movers. Itwill, of course, contain a piston connected to the piston rod whichleads to the coupling 22 and usual conduits for fluid pressure and valvemeans therefor will be employed as customary. The element l3, Fig. 1,diagrammatically shows a valve casing at the top of which is a handlever for operating valve means leading to cylinder 2|.

A recessed opening is provided in the container base 8. The knockout lis set in this opening making a sliding fit. The recessed portion of theopening forms a seat for the end of the knockout which holds the die 6.This end of the knockout and die constitutes the bottom of the billetcontainer. The other end of the knockout is equipped with a cushionedretaining flange I2 which prevents it from passing through the opening.The cushion for the retaining flange is in dicated as I2a.

In Fig. 3 the billet container is shown with the knockout directly underthe container cap, in a position to press out a pierced billet under theforce of the container cap and press. This figure shows the die 6 fittedinto the knockout l, the retaining flange I2 and cushion l2a. Thecontainer cap 3 is shown resting in the slotted retainers or guides 3a,3a. In this figure 3b indicates the concentric ring of the cover whichfits closely into the container during the piercing operation; is theconcentric ring of the cover which fits into the knockout when thepierced billet is being pressed from the container. A sectional view ofthe guard la. is shown in this drawing.

Figure 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3 and shows the relative positions ofthe trunnions 8a, 8a, trunm 3 nion supports H, H, slotted retainers orguides 3a, 3a, and the guard la.

In Fig. 5 is shown a plan view of the container cap 3. The plan view ofthe cap shows a milled slot 3d running from the edge of the cap to itscenter opening. In operation, this milled slot 3d forms a guide and pathfor the piercing cap i when the latter is placed in the center openingbefore the piercing operation starts.

Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 show views in elevation of one of the slottedretainers or guides 31]., 3a for the container cap.

The operation of the billet piercing device, using either hot or coldbillets is as follows: A billet is placed in the container 5, while itis moving from the knockout position to the piercing position, actuatedby the operating cylinder 2:, through the rack and pinion i9 and theshaft iii. The container is automatically positioned under the press bythe adjustable stop. The operator then starts the press A into motionwhich lowers container cap 3 upon billet container 5, fitting closelybecause of concentric ring 32). The operator then slides the piercingcap A. along the milled slot 3a in the container cap until it drops intothe central opening of the container cap. The press motion is continuedand the piercing mandrel 2 engages the piercing cap 1 pushing the slugof metal and piercing cap 4 through the die 6. to the open position.

The operating valve is is set to rotate the container base 8 through 180degrees actuated by the operating cylinder 2!, through the rack pinioni9 and shaft Id. The rotation is halted by the adjustable stop, placingthe knockout I in the upper position as shown in Fig. 3. The press isagain set in motion, the container cap 3 descends and fits closely onthe knockout due to the concentric ring and, pushing on knockout,presses the pierced billet from the container. The press returns to theopen position, the operating valve i3 is reversed causing the billetcontainer 5 to return to the piercing position as described above.During this motion a billet is laced in the container and the operationsare repeated. The guard 10, moves with each stroke of the press,protecting the operator from injury. In the manufacture of hollowextruded shapes and tube blooms made from aluminum or aluminum alloybillets, it is the usual practice to drill these billets in case ofsmall extrusions. This is a slow expensive operation and permits onlythe production of billets with round holes. By means of the inventionset forth hereinabove, billets of aluminum or aluminum alloy may bepierced. A standard hydraulic or mechanical press is used to drive a diethrough the billet. Either hot or cold billets may be so pierced andnon-ferrous metals other than aluminum may also be pierced by thisdevice. The device as shown is provided with an adjustable stop so as toaccurately position the billet container under the press. A brake to.control the speed of the operation and an operating valve to control theoperating cylinder are provided. A guard for the protection of theoperator is located adjacent to the brake.

The press is then returned Having described my invention, what I claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. Apparatus adapted for the piercing of metallic billets consisting ofa press head and a piercing mandrel thereon, an apertured containoradapted to receive various sizes of billet containers, and rotatingmeans for said container base adapted to rotate the base about incombination with a die, at the base of the billet container, the dieconsisting of, a piercing cap, guide means on the press head for saidpiercing cap, a slidable apertured billet ejector positioned at the baseof the billet container having an exposed end for engagement by saidguide means under the action of a press upon rotation of said base.

2. In an apparatus for the piercing of metallic billets consisting of apress and a piercing mandrel actuated thereby, billet container, meansfor rotating the container to invert the same relatively to the press,and an apertured billet ejector normally projected through the base ofthe billet container for actuation by the press when the billetcontainer is inverted, in combination with a press and piercing mandrelactuated thereby, a billet container, means for rotating said containerto invert the same relative to the press, an apertured billet ejectorprojected through the base of the billet container for actuation by thepress when said billet container is inverted, die in the billetcontainer and carried by the aperture billet ejector, and a containercap slidably carried by the press head for directly engaging theejector.

3. In an apparatus for the piercing of metailic billets consisting oi apress and a piercing mandrel actuated thereby, a billet container, meansfor rotating the container to invert the same elatively to the press,and an apertured billet ejector normally projected through the base ofthe billet container for actuation bythe press when the billet containeris inverted, in combination with a press and a piercing mandrel actuatedthereby, a billet container, means for rotating said container'to invertthe same relative to the press, an apertured billetejector'projeotedthrough the base of the'billet container for actuation-by the press whensaid billet container is inverted, a die in the billet container andcarried by the apertured billet ejector, and a container cap slidablycarried by the press head for directly engaging the ejector then thesaid cap being form-ed with a guide aperture for receivingboth apiercing cap and the piercing mandrel oi the press.

CHARLES TICHY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Numb-er- Name Date 473,791 Simmons Apr. 26, 18921,916,432 Mernier July 4, 1933 2,298,077 Witter Oct. 6, 1942

